Orsino Orsini

Orsino Orsini (died 13 August 1492) was a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. Orsini was a rival of Rodrigo Borgia, accusing him of simony and hating him due to his Spanish heritage. Orsini attempted to poison Borgia two days after he became Pope, only for his own assassin Micheletto Corella to kill him with the poison at the behest of Cesare Borgia.

Biography
Orsino Orsini was a member of the College of Cardinals during the late 15th century, and he developed a rivalry with Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, insulting his Spanish heritage by calling him a "white Moor". In 1492, he received six votes during the papal election, and he was holed up in the Vatican for a month as the College sought to elect a new pope. Ultimately, Borgia was crowned "Pope Alexander VI", and Orsini accused him of simony twice: both at the counting of the votes, and when the Pope chose Cardinal Ascanio Sforza as Vice-Chancellor, a position that had been promised to Orsini. Orsini was convinced to kiss the Pope's ring to show his "submission" to the pope, and Orsini decided to hold a banquet at his palace two days later to honor the Pope and Sforza.

Downfall


Orsini had the assassin Micheletto Corella create a poisonous mixture of wine and powder to poison the Pope at the banquet table, where all of the cardinals were sitting and eating. The Pope's son Cesare Borgia brought with him a monkey that tasted the wine, and he had himself excused from the table after the monkey voided its bowels onto a napkin. Borgia met Corella in the kitchen and convinced him to work for the House of Borgia for double the pay that Orsini was giving him, and Corella was persuaded to poison Orsini; Borgia discovered the plot after his monkey drank the poisoned wine. Corella served Orsini the poisoned wine, and Borgia gave a toast to monkeys as Orsini stood up from his seat, choked on the poison, and fell dying into the arms of the cardinals seated next to him.